Power-generating unit for locomotive-headlights



B. B. iACY. POWER GENERATING UNIT FOR LOCOMUTIVE HEADLIGHTS. APPLICATION ruin Aue.15, 1917. nENEwED sEPT..24. 1920.

1,357,501 Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- @Hoz ne 1J# B. B.v LACY. POWER GENERATING UNIT FOR LOCOMOTIVE HEADLIGHTS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I5, |917. RENEWED SEPT-24, 1920. 1,357,50L, v Patented NOV. 2, 1920.

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BENJAMIN BURTON LACY, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR V'IO HENRY E. ELROD COMPANY, A COPARTNERSHIP GONSISTING- GF HENRY EELROD, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, AND BENJAMIN B. LACY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. l

POWER-GENERATING NIT FOR LOGOMOTIVE-HEADLIG-HTS.

Specicaticn of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application led August 15, 1917, Serial No. 186,408. Renewed September 24, 1920. Serial No. 412,621.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. LACY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Generating Units for Locomotive-Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to power generating units for locomotive headlights, and particularly, to the turbine element of the unit. Y

- One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cheap, durable and efficient unit for headlights, consisting of a turbine and a generator which may be contained within a relatively small space.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means whereby the steam consumption will be regulated by a novel speed responsive device in proportion to the load.

It is also the purpose of the invention to contain both the rotor of the turbine and the generator within a single case, but in such manner, that the generator will be protected against deterioration by the steam from the turbine.

Other objects and advantages will beespecially referred to hereinafter, it being understood that changes in form, proportion, and minor details of construction, will be resorted to without departing from Vthe spirit of the invention, or sacrificing any of its advantages.

ln the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewy through the turbine.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View through the turbine casing.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the governor weights and the actuating collar.

Referring now to the drawings Vby-numerals of reference, 10 designates the casing for the unit, with two portions 11 and 13, the one designated 11 being removable.

vThe end 13 of the casing is provided with a packing gland 14C for the shaft 15. One end of the shaft 15 carries the rotor of the turbine and the other end the generator,

the generator being `of any preferred con struction. ,The shaft 15, of course, is journaled lin suitable end bearings. The turbine casing is provided. with an inlet 21 normally open by a balanced valve 22 on a stem 23, carrying. a head or flange 24, between whichand the `abutment 25, is an expansion spring 26, said spring being normally opposed by a governor element as will appear hereinafter.

The shaft 15 carries an impulse wheel 27 on the periphery of which is a single row of impulse blades 23 registering with` the nozzle 29 which communicateswith the inlet 21. As the nozzle is within fthe Vinner circumferenceof the row `of blades, .a radial flow turbineis provided, so that steam may pass from the nozzle 29 through the blades out into the chamber 30, and` pass the space 31 to the exhaust 32. Within the chamber 30 is a longitudinally movable collar 33 sleeved on the shaft 15 and having its longitudinal movement normally opposed by a spring 34: sleeved on` the shaft l5, said spring 34 having one end seated against a movable abutment 35 and the other against a tensioning seat 36, said seat beingmoved with respect to the shaft through the medium of an adjusting screw 37 threaded in the disk 27 with one end bearing against the member 36. The collar 33 is provided with a circumferential flange 38 which is connected to the abutment 35 by the rods 39 and 40, said rods being spaced apart as best shown in Fig. 2. inasmuch as the sleeve 33 is tied to the movable abutment 35, and inasmuch as the spring 34 is an expansion spring, it follows that the normal. tendency of the sleeve or collar 33 will be to rest against the impulse wheel 27, the force necessary to oppose this tendency being detcrminedby the adjustment ofthe tension- 'ing device 36. Adjacent to the periphery of the flange 33 and on opposite sides of the axial center of the shaft 15 are weighted elbow levers or speed responsive devices al and 4t2. Each elbow lever has a flange engaging end 43, the opposite horizontal end being provided with a weight. Asthe wheel 27 rotates, it carries With it the collar 33, the rods 39 and 40, the tensioning device36,

the movable abutment 35 and the elbow" levers41 and 42.

rlhe outer end of the collar 33 bears against the disk 44 received in a head 45 to which isfsivingingly secured the forked end 46 of a: lever 47 pivoted to the bracket 48 carried by the head 11. The free end of the lever 48 is provided with a threaded barrel 49 in Which is an adjusting screwl 50 adapted to be held in its adjusted position by a Winged lock nut 5l, the free endof the adjusting screw being also adapted to bearagainst the head 24 -of the valve stem 23. When the Wheel 27 is rotating,

uthe centrifugal force Will causethe `Weighted ends of the levers 41 and '42 to move toward the peripheryLof-the Wheel, and as a result, the pressurek exerted by the ends 43 Vof said levers will impart a longitudinal movement to the ,collar 33v in opposition to Y the expansion. spring 34. The greater the speed fof the VWheel?, the lgreater the movementfof the collar 33, andconsequently, the closing movement of the valve 22. l When the speedl of the Wheel diminishes,ithe spring `34 vill move the collartovvard the -vvheel 27 vso thatrthe spring 26 may permit the valve 22 tolmove to open position.'

`,end 1 1 maybe taken off Without disturbing anyof'the interior mechanism of the turbine.

' I have notl describedthe particular for of generator, inasmuch as any form of generator may be employed in connection with the turbine herein described.

ItV will be apparent tliat'a device constructed in accordance `with the one herein described, may be easily `assembled and be rugged inv operation andthe parts may be readily accessible for inspection or repair.

' IV claim 1. In a machine of the character described, a casing, an impulse Wheel mounted in said casing, a tensioning device on one side of the Wheel and a slidable governing element actuated by said tensioning device on the other jside of the wheehan inlet opening, a valve for controlling the eective port area of said opening, :and a governor lever'foi controlling saidv valve, having one endjcon nected avith said slidable governing llement; whereby the centrifugal force generated by the Wheel may impart movement to said lever and actuate said valve.

2. In a machine of the character described, a casing having a removable cover part, an impulse Wheel rotatable Within said casing, a valve for controlling said Wheel and a governor for saidvalve, coinprising a lever, said lever pivoted to and carried by the removable cover part of said casing, and having one end terminating in actuating relation to said valve and its other end associated with means responsive to the centrifugal force generated by the Wheel for imparting movement to said valve.

3. In avdevice-of the Aclass*described, a casing having an inlet, an outlet and a removable cover part, an impulse `Wheel Withing the casing, a'valveV for controlling; the eieetiveport area ofthe inlet opening, a lever pivoted to and carriedby said cover part, lmeans at one end of the lever'for contact `with the valve, a longitudinally slidable element for engagement with the other end of the lever,'speedl responsive Weights for actuating said element, a spring-'actuated tensioning device on ythe other side of said Wheel, and 'meansconnecting said element and said tensioning device.

4. In al device ofthe classdescribed, a

'casing Yhaving an inlet, an outlet` and a removable cover part, an impulseyvheel Within the casing, a valve for controlling the effective port area 'of the inlet opening, a lever pivoted to vand carried `by said Vcover part,means at one end of the lever for contact ivitli the valve, a longitudinally slidable element for engagementfvvith the other end of the -lever, speedy responsive vveights for actuating said element, a spring-actuated tensioning vdevice on the other side of said Wheel, means extending through 'said vvheel and terminally connected to said :element and said tensioning device, respectively, and means carried by .the `Wheel for adjusting said tensioning device. j

5. In a device of the'class described, a casing having an inlet, an outlet and aremovable cover part, a'shaftf in vsaid casing, an impulse Wheel on said shaft, a ianged collar slidable on said shaftgvveighted ellbow levers carried by said 'Wheel and adapted to impart longitudinal4 movement to said collar, a valve-actuating lever )pivoted `to and carried Vby the removable cover part of the casing, and havingfone' end 'provided with an adjustable contact Withithe valve for the inlet opening, means onthe other end of said lever for engagement with the collar, an adjustable spring' seated on the opposite side of said Wheel, anlabutment spaced therefrom, a spring. interposed between the seat Vand the abutment, and rods connecting the abutment with .the collar.

6. In a device Vof the class described, a stator and a rotor, a valve for governing the effective inlet port area of the stator, a spring for maintaining the valve in unseated position, a l'evei' for Contact With said valve to oppose said spring, one end of said lever having a bifuieated portion, means on one side of the rotor for imparting movement to the end of said lever, and a spring-pressed device on the other side of said rotor to op-1 pose the sliding movement of said means.

The foregoing speoiieation signed Vat 10 Hotziston, Texas, this 2nd day of March, 191

BENJAMIN BURTON LACY.V 

